Ring A Go-Round

Prince William gave Kate Middleton his late mother, Princess Diana’s platinum engagement ring that features an 18 carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by 14 smaller white diamonds from Garrard.

According to jewelry expert Michael O’Connor, “Since this ring was originally set in platinum, the highest quality metal, it looks as beautiful today as it did years ago, and as it will for generations."

Platinum has a deep history with British royals. At the coronation of George VI in 1936, his wife Queen Elizabeth (the late Queen Mother) was crowned with an elegant platinum crown holding the famous Koh-I-Noor diamond. Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, who exchanged platinum wedding bands with King Edward VIII, declared platinum the one and only choice for evening wear.